Muhlenberg beats Carnegie Mellon in ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl

Call staff reports

Behind four interceptions and a balanced offensive attack, the Muhlenberg football team rolled to a 32-6 victory over Carnegie Mellon in the ECAC Asa. S. Bushnell Bowl.

The postseason victory is the team’s first since 2007 and gives Muhlenberg an 8-3 record for the season. The Mules have six straight years with at least eight victories. The win also tied the 2017 senior class with last year’s seniors for most victories over a four-year period (34).

Senior safety Amir Blair earned game MVP honors, intercepting a third-quarter pass and recording a safety as one of his eight tackles. He also broke up a pass in the end zone to prevent a touchdown.

The offense racked up 356 yards, with 189 rushing yards. Freshman quarterback Michael Hnatkowsky accrued 165 passing yards and a touchdown. He set the school and Centennial Conference record for most passing yards by a freshman (2,091) in the process, breaking Nick Palladino’s record of 2,011 passing yards. He also finished with 20 touchdown passes for the season, tied for fifth most by a Mule.

Freshman James Diggs led the ground attack with 75 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Hnatkowsky rushed for 60 yards on eight attempts, and senior Matt Stickney ran for 50 yards and a touchdown to go with 39 receiving yards on three catches in his final game. Junior Josiah Wright led the Mules with 69 receiving yards on two receptions.

The teams engaged in a defensive battle in the first quarter, with an interception leading to a Tartans (7-4) field goal that stood as the only points through the first 27 minutes of the game.

On Carnegie Mellon’s third drive of the second quarter, sophomore Joseph O’Hagan jumped in front of a deep pass and returned the interception 26 yards. Three plays later, Hnatkowsky rolled to his left and launched a deep ball of his own that hit Wright in stride for a 49-yard touchdown, giving the Mules a 7-3 lead.

On the Tartans’ first play of their next drive, sophomore Mickey Kober picked off a pass at the Tartan 15-yard line to put Muhlenberg in great field position. The Mules gained eight yards on a Hnatkowsky pass to junior Max Kirin before settling for a 24-yard field goal that sophomore Todd Spirt sailed through the uprights for a 10-3 lead.

The Mules held their advantage into the halftime break, and Blair’s interception led to another Muhlenberg scoring drive. The Mules orchestrated a 10-play drive from their 26-yard line that included a 31-yard scramble by Hnatkowsky that set up Stickney for a two-yard rushing score.

Kober picked off his second pass of the game on the second play of the next Tartan drive, returning the theft 17 yards to the Muhlenberg 41. The Mules, however, were forced to punt, and the Tartans added another field goal to make it 17-6 at the end of three quarters.

Diggs rushed for both of his touchdowns in the fourth quarter to help seal the game, one from five yards out and another from two yards shortly after Blair’s safety. The defense then stalled Carnegie Mellon on fourth down plays on two late drives.

Senior linebacker Jake Morra led the defense with nine tackles, while fellow senior linebacker Matt Musilli recorded six stops, including two for a loss. Kober and junior Michael Blank each finished with seven tackles. Senior defensive end Travis Crawford recorded both Muhlenberg sacks as his two tackles.